Best Side Cycling Summits : Hills of the West Coast - Eastside Edition (Brisk)

Welcome to the Best Side Summits: the funnest, steepest social group ride you'll encounter. I have a guilty pleasure of climbing and the idea of these rides is to share that joy with all of you. You don't need be a fast climber to join this ride (we will regroup after each incline) but know that all the hills we encounter will have 8%+ average gradient and pitches into the teens. You need to have well-tested brakes and be able to descend steep hills in a controlled way.

In this edition, we're going to be using the route of the late Steven Hulsman for an epic forty miles of ascents and descents. From his ride description: "We’ll head east out to Newport Way, from which we’ll climb 164th to Lakemont, then climb Cougar Mtn Dr that includes 3 bonus climbs, and then descend Montreux.  We’ll go out to Squak, climb it from the east and descend to Tibbetts Park. We’ll then ride back west to climb to Horizon View (151st), and finish off with a climb to Somerset."

Let's meet at the Newcastle Beach Park by the Restrooms at 10am. Be there, ready to go at the time listed above. We will start with a required safety briefing, and roll out when that's done.  All riders must attend the safety briefing to participate. 

The pace of the ride for the flat sections will be Brisk (16-18 MPH on the flats). There will be faster and slower climbers but the point of the ride is to encourage everyone to get to the top safely! I encourage each of you to download the GPS beforehand and I'll do my best to make sure everyone stays on track. 

Restrooms are available at the start. We will stop along the way at least at the new Big Tree Trailhead at mile 20 for restrooms. The ride is contingent on sunny weather. 

Bring a spare tube and tools to fix a flat, just in case. Other things to bring: phone; ID; cash and/or credit card; ORCA card; water and a small snack. Please have full fenders if the roads are wet, or you may be asked to ride at the rear of the group.

Note: If weather conditions meet the weather cancellation criterion listed above or if there are unforeseen hazardous riding conditions or other unexpected events, the Ride Leader will cancel the ride and all registered riders will be sent a notification email. If the ride is cancelled at least two hours before the start, Ride Leader(s) will not be at the start location. Please check before leaving for the ride.